Mine is deliberately drab.

I like to wear very simple socks. They are usually black or dark grey, quite thin, very soft, warm and fairly snug fitting. I wear both knee high socks and ankle length socks under jeans or with boots. Very occasionally I’ll throw in a monochromatic black argyle design, but that’s it. No colours or colourful patterns of any description.

I am about as plain Jane as it gets when it comes to my sock style because I don’t want my socks to interfere with my outfit. Its weird, even though my socks are always hidden, I need them to be as neutral as possible. Otherwise I feel that my outfit is mis-matched, and not in a good way.

When at home I swap out my shoes for slippers and I like to see black or grey socks on my feet with the slippers. I have no explanation for this.

Oh well, I guess I make up for my drab sock personality with a fun hosiery collection. Tell us about your sock style.

When I first posted about over the knee boots, the trend was very fringe. Now we’re two years down the line and it’s “the” boot of the season. Mainstream all the way. It always amuses me when that happens, AND how time here on YLF flies.

I was in love with flat over the knee boot styles right from the start and promptly bought a grey pair when we were last in Hong Kong in 2008. I absolutely LOVE wearing them and they became wardrobe workhorses virtually straight away. So much so that I just added another pair to my collection — I nabbed a black Stuart Weitzman pair at this year’s Nordstrom Anniversary Sale and I can’t wait to put them through their paces in cooler weather.

I adore the equestrian vibe of over the knee style boots with flat heels – hence the two pairs in my closet. They make my outfits feel pulled together and fashionable, but in a casual and very practical way for our climate and my lifestyle.

I was originally wary of over the knee boot styles with heels, especially with stiletto heels because they somehow looked a little tarty. But after seeing fabulous heeled designs this year with both wedge and stacked heels, I have completely changed my mind. I will personally stick to flats, but I like the aesthetic of heeled over the knee boots just as much.

I vote yay. How about you?

As the suspense builds, I’m chuckling behind my computer at your imaginative speculation about our Labor Day Launch. No, I shan’t be on Oprah. Nor will I be Skyping myself unannounced into your closets each morning. And I won’t be launching my own line of button down shirts.

It’s time for an update here at YLF and we are excited about what we have in store for you. Our baby is growing up!

There will be a period of downtime this weekend while we install the upgrades. Later this week we will give you more detail about the timing of this.

In the meantime…

The Miz Mooz review and giveaway post received 207 comments. That’s a record for YLF! Clearly there are lots of Miz Mooz footwear lovers out there, which is fab news. The footwear company deserves your admiration and appreciation because they combine fun retro styling AND comfort. I went with the smaller size on the Alcott pumps and put them through their paces over the weekend. It’s no surprise that they passed with flying colours.

And as for the winner of the giveaway… congratulations Sihaya! The random number generator chose you. We will contact you to arrange the transfer of your Miz Mooz gift certificate. Enjoy!

Ann Taylor Loft inspired this post with their excellent photographs for the V-neck cardigan style. The photos show the versatility of a fine gauge, straight cut boyfriend cardigan, but you could substitute that silhouette with a fairly simply cascading or fly away cardigan if that’s more to your taste.

What’s clear from the photos is how well this type of cardigan can work across casual, smart casual and business casual dress codes depending on the items it’s matched with. Lets break down the outfit variations and refine the details:

1. Smart Casual — Cardigan over blouse with jeans: This outfit is smart casual and would look fab matched with dressy shoes and handbag. Sleeveless or long sleeved items work best layered under the cardigan to prevent fabric bunching on the sleeve. Here’s an added versatility tip: substitute the jeans for a pair of dress pants or more fashion forward style of dress pants and you’ve changed the dress code to business casual. You can further accessorize the outfit with a belt worn either over both layers of cardigan and blouse, or just over the blouse leaving the cardigan flowing. Remember that your necklace and belt should work in harmony.
2. Casual — Cardigan over T with jeans: This outfit is casual if you can imagine it with a pair of casual shoes like Converse sneakers, Privo flats or cowboy boots and a more casual necklace. You can substitute the jeans for a faded pair and the plain T for any type of casual top. Obviously you can leave the cardigan unbuttoned.
3. Business Casual — Cardigan over blouse with a pencil skirt: This is a business casual outfit and its shown with a tucked-in blouse and belted cardigan. You can leave the blouse un-tucked and omit the belt if that’s more comfortable. Added versatility tip: swap out the dressy skirt for a denim one and you’ve changed the dress code to smart casual.
4. Business Casual — Cardigan over a dress: This is another business casual outfit showing how well the cardigan layers over a fairly straight shift or sheath dress. It’s belted in the photo, but you could leave off the belt.

For all outfit variations you can scrunch up the sleeves for added outfit interest and texture. It’s also important to remember that these mini cardigan formulas are precisely that – formulas. Apply the basic concept and make your outfit as classic, spunky, arty, urban, dressy or casual as you like.

Hopefully this post either sends you back to have fun in your closet, or encourages the purchase of a boyfriend or cascading cardigan. Shout in the comments if you have further questions.

How can a fashion website change as fast as fashion itself?

Spare buttons that are sewn into the side label or side seam of a garment are easy to store. But when they come in a little bag that’s attached to the garment, we have to detach the bag and keep the buttons in a safe place.

At the moment I store our spare garment buttons in a large zip lock bag that I keep in one of the drawers of our walk-in wardrobe. I used to store spare buttons in a pretty recycled biscuit tin, but the tin soon overflowed with buttons and I had to find a bigger container. Enter temporary large zip lock bag. I much prefer the idea of a recycled biscuit tin so when we’ve worked through the huge tin of biscuits my brother gave us, I’ll switch to that instead.

What do you do with your spare garment buttons?

If you’re after a pair of pretty fab non-premium jeans, you might like to try these three styles from the Gap:

• Always Skinny
• Real Straight
• Perfect Bootcut

They form part of Gap’s new denim collection that’s been available for several months. I’ve had many clients road test their fits and they are happy. The fabric bags out ever so slightly after a day of wear but not bad at all. The silhouettes are flattering and the price affordable –- especially if you purchase with a discount coupon. But the best part about these styles is their availability across sizes 00 to 20 in all sorts of washes and leg lengths. Simply brilliant.

In some cases you’ll need to size down whereas in other cases they run true to size. If you have a proportionately small waistline you might need to have the waistband adjusted.  The rise lengths on the skinny and straight leg are mid length but the rise lengths on the bootcuts are longer.

These Gap jeans styles have received rave reviews online, and I mean RAVE reviews. From hundreds of evaluations, the styles score an average of 4 out of 5 stars. That’s impressive, so be sure to check out store reviews when you have a moment.

On a more nostalgic note, I’m happy to see that the Gap is back. Their legging jeans (or “leans“) are amazing and so are several of their other items. Fabulous that their jeans are back on track too. Long live the Gap!

And that’s all we’re saying for now!

Your figure flattery priorities in the comments on what makes an outfit flattering were very interesting. So it’s time for another poll.

Given the choice, would you prefer to define your waist, or create a longer leg line? Most of you probably prefer to do both, either in the same outfit, or choosing one over the other in different outfits. But I’m interested in your priorities here, so no batting for both Teams — you have to pick a side!

I’m on Team leg line, which means that I like to wear outfits that make my legs look normal length or slightly longer. I also love creating a waistline in my outfits and often wear form fitting clothing. But I enjoy wearing voluminous clothing that hides my waistline just as much. I find it a fun look because it draws attention to alternative parts of the body, like your neck, limbs and face. However, I will never shorten my leg line. That doesn’t mean I wear heels frequently though (I’m still on Team Flats). You can absolutely create longer leg lines by wearing certain outfit silhouettes, and my feet are grateful for that.

So given the choice, I’d rather surrender my waistline than shorten my leg line. How about you? Are you on Team Waistline or Team Leg Line? Tell us why.